Story of a Life
by legaldramafan
Summary: Chapters loosely fit together to tell a story that goes from friends to romance. Reid & Morgan - obviously. High rating to cover all my bases although rating could vary from chapter to chapter.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

Reid couldn't decide whether it was better or worse that instead of punching a wall Morgan had decided to express his anger by punching a bottled drink machine, denting the plastic frame to the point that it could no longer dispense beverages.

"Morgan, we saved that boy's life today."

"Yeah Reid, we did, but what kind of life will he really have? What will the _quality_ of his _life_ be? What are the statistics on rape victims wishing they had died instead of survived? I'm sure the number is rattling around that big old brain of yours."

"Maybe so, but I doubt that you need me to tell you." Reid didn't say it meanly; in fact, he sounded quite sympathetic. Nonetheless, Morgan's face was now mere millimeters from his own; his smooth chocolate skin was marred with a reddish tint and steam was pouring from his ears, his head the roaring engine of a speeding locomotive.

"Say it again," Morgan threatened, backing Reid up against a row of lockers.

"I'm sorry Derek," he whispered, afraid to maintain eye contact but knowing that he owed the man that much.

"Sorry that you said it because you're truly sorry or sorry because you're afraid your face is about to become a matching set with the vending machine."

"Sorry because I'm truly sorry that I said it."

"But that's what you honestly thought . . ."

". . ."

"Answer me!"

"Yes." This time Reid's answer was barely audible.

Morgan's fist collided with the locker directly beside the genius' head, angry tears clouding his vision. "Fuck you!"

"Morgan . . . I'm sorry I'm such an idiot . . . socially . . . that . . . that I always say the wrong things . . . but . . . but I want you to know that . . . that I'm glad that you survived . . . not that you had to survive it I mean . . . but that you are here . . . in existence . . ."

The older agent's forehead came to rest on his shoulder and he didn't comment when he felt a wet spot forming on his shirt.


	2. Chapter 2

"Reid," Morgan shook the younger agent's shoulder. "Wake-up man."

Hazel eyes popped open, their owner rubbing the sleep from them, taking in their surroundings, noting the large pair of breasts barely wrapped in some skimpy piece of spandex-like material that were pressing against Morgan, as well as their owner. She was curvy in all the right places, Latina maybe. She had black hair that fell in loose curls past her shoulders and big brown eyes. Her skin was the color of caramel and her pouty lips were shining with gloss. The tight red 'dress' left nothing to the imagination and when combined with the spiked stiletto sandals she was wearing even Reid knew that the outfit screamed 'fuck me!'

"Reid, Reid," Morgan was snapping his fingers in front of his face.

Startled, he shook his head. "Sorry, what?"

"I said what are you doin' here man?"

"I, uh, I thought you might like some company after that last case, but it looks like you've got that covered . . ." he glanced at his watch, "I guess I sat down to wait for you and fell asleep. I'll uh, I'll just be going now." He brushed past Morgan, not bothering to acknowledge the one-night stand attached to his hip, rushing down the stairs of the house, losing his step but quickly righting himself, continuing to his car as the tears welled in his eyes. "She doesn't mean anything to him, you know that," he whispered repeatedly to himself, silently wishing that fact was some sort of consolation as he drove away.

"Who was _that_?" the club rat asked, watching Reid as he rushed away.

"A co-worker of mine."

"Sorry baby, but I think he wants to be more than just a co-worker. A man doesn't show up at another man's house in the middle of the night because he wants to be an acquaintance. Plus, even if he can't dress, he still screams 'gay'."

"He's not gay."

"Oh but he is, and he is hot for you, not that I blame him. But how he thinks he could possibly stand a chance with someone who looks the way you do, even if you _did_ swing that way, is beyond me. You are totally out of his league. It's kind of sad, really."

It was then that Morgan realized two things: (1) they were still on his front stoop; and (2) every time she spoke she became infinitely less attractive. "You know what honey, why don't I just take you back to your place?"

She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "_Do_ you swing that way?"

Morgan ran a hand over his face. "On occasion, but that's not why . . ."

"Ew! And you wanted to stick your dirty thing in me?! I don't think so! I'll call a cab!"

As she had now insulted both Reid and himself, Morgan didn't object.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey man, want to grab a drink after work?"

"I don't think so Morgan; you know that bars and clubs aren't really my thing."

"Please, pretty, pretty please," Morgan begged, pouting his bottom lip.

Reid rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Morgan smiled and returned to his office until quitting time.

As they stood in line outside the club, Reid noted an inordinate amount of men. "Morgan, what _is_ this place?"

"Mystic. See, the name is hanging there above the door?" And it was . . . in rainbow letters.

"Okay, but that doesn't really answer my question . . ."

"It's a gay bar kid," he replied as the line progressed. "I thought it might be more your speed."

Reid's eyes grew wide and he quickly exited the line, rapidly walking down the block to the nearest metro station, ignoring the catcalls he was receiving. Morgan grunted in frustration as he exited the line and sprinted to catch up to his friend. "Reid, man, wait up!" He kept walking, but it was futile. Morgan caught up to him in no time. "I didn't mean to offend you. I'm sorry; I really thought . . ."

Reid abruptly turned around to face him and Morgan was a little surprised to see the tears in his eyes. "Why did you bring me here Morgan?"

"I told you man, I thought you'd be more comfortable . . . I thought you were . . ."

"Why do you even know about this place Morgan? Do _you_ come here often?"

"You realize you just fed me one of the most clichéd pick-up lines of all time?"

"That's not an answer."

Morgan scratched the back of his head, shifting uncomfortably. "I've, uh, I've been here a few times."

"Why?" the conversation was bringing Reid actual, physical pain, but he had to ask his questions.

"Why do you think man? Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"

". . ."

"Okay, I guess you do. I've been here before when I was in the mood to pick-up a guy."

The tears were now freely sliding down Reid's cheeks. "For how long?" He couldn't even vocalize the next question eloquently.

"My whole life, I guess . . . I mean, I prefer women, obviously, but . . ." he trailed off. "I'm sorry, but are you really not . . . I mean, you just give me this vibe, and I'm usually right . . ."

"I am."

Morgan placed his hands on either side of Reid's face, using his broad thumbs to wipe away the tears. "Then what's the problem pretty boy? I don't understand."

_The problem is that it's hard enough to watch you pick-up women, let alone men!_ He didn't say that though; he simply shook his head. "There's no problem. I should be going; you go back to the club though; there's no reason for you to go home alone tonight." Before he could even turn around to continue his journey Morgan's hand was on his bicep.

"What are you talking about Reid?"

"I'll . . . I'll just be in the way of your, um, game . . . and I, uh, I don't really feel like being the third wheel to anything . . . and I don't want to inconvenience you once you've met somebody . . . and if I leave now I can still catch the metro and I won't have to pay for a taxi . . ."

"You're my best friend, not an inconvenience! Reid, I drove you here, I'll drive you home."

"And where's the data to support that conclusion?"

Morgan winced. He had abandoned and stranded his best friend for the company of a lady on more than one occasion. "Well there isn't any really, but I'm telling you now that tonight will be different."

"No, Morgan, it's okay. I . . . I really just want to go home . . . but you stay . . . you'll have fun, you know you will . . ." He gently extracted his arm from Morgan's grasp, turning away from him and continuing down the street.

"I thought you wanted me," Morgan whispered, confused and far too quietly for Reid to hear.


	4. Chapter 4

"Soooo, what's her name?" teased Prentiss as the team – minus Hotch and Rossi – sat in the break room eating their lunches.

Morgan cleared his throat. "Um, _his_ name is Justin."

JJ, Emily and Penelope looked at each other in shock. Then JJ noticed that Reid had continued to quietly nibble on his sandwich, not looking at all surprised by this revelation. She decided to wait and question him privately, allowing Emily and Penelope to subject Morgan to an interrogation regarding 'Justin.'

"At a club."

"Thirty-two."

"White."

"Brown hair and green eyes."

"Five-eleven."

"Lobbyist."

"Georgetown."

"You'll never know baby girl, I don't want you cyber-stalking him."

When Reid stood abruptly, throwing away his largely uneaten lunch as he exited the room, there was a pause in the conversation. Morgan stood, as though to follow him, but JJ placed a hand on his forearm.

"Maybe you should let me," she suggested softly. Morgan nodded.

Having only a hunch to go on, JJ proceeded to her office, hoping it was right. To her relief, she opened the door and saw her Spence curled into himself in the dark back corner of the room. She shut her office door and locked it before making her way across the room to him. "You didn't seem too surprised when Morgan announced he was bisexual."

Tears were pouring out of his eyes and he simply shook his head. JJ was crouched in front of him. "How long have you known Spence?"

"Six months," he hiccupped.

"How did you find out? Did he tell you?"

Reid nodded again. "He asked if I wanted to join him for a drink one night and then he took me to a gay bar . . ."

"And he doesn't feel the same way?" Reid shook his head.

"Then why tell you?" Reid shrugged, the tears flowing more profusely than before. JJ considered the man before her thoughtfully.

"Spen-cer . . ." she said in a knowing tone, "Did you actually tell Morgan how you feel?"

He shook his head vehemently.

"Spence! You don't know that he doesn't feel the same way!"

"He's with Justin now; even if he ever did, which I doubt, because someone like Morgan could never want someone like me, I'm too late. I lost my chance."

JJ cradled him to her chest, holding him as he cried. She would point out the flaws in his thinking some other time, but not now. Right now her mothering instincts had taken over and all she could do was comfort the brokenhearted genius.


	5. Chapter 5

"So Reid's known for six months."

"Mmmhmm."

"But he didn't think that Morgan coming out to him was a sign that Morgan was interested?!"

JJ shook her head.

"But he _is_ in love with Morgan, isn't he?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Well what are we going to do with those two ladies?"

JJ shrugged.

"Knowing Reid . . . I'm sure he thought that he wasn't good enough for Morgan in the first place."

"Mmmhmm."

"And now that he thinks Morgan is happy with someone else he won't ever say anything."

JJ shook her head.

"And Morgan thinks that Reid _isn't_ interested."

"Mmmhmm."

"Fuck!"


	6. Chapter 6

"What's wrong Morgan?" Emily asked as she dealt another hand of poker, noticing that Reid was listening to their conversation while he was 'reading.' The genius hadn't turned the page in two minutes.

"Nothing."

"Trouble in paradise?"

"If you're talking about Justin, then yeah, we broke up."

"I'm sorry Derek."

"It's okay Em; it wasn't working out. You know this job does a number on any attempted relationships. We were together for . . . two, two and a half months? But in that time do you know how often I saw him?"

"Based on the past two months we've had, I'm going to say not very."

"Exactly. It's no way to build a relationship and it wasn't fair to him. We parted on good terms . . ."

"It still sucks though . . ."

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Any plans for the weekend then?"

"Not really . . . although I could certainly use a drink."

"Any plans for the weekend Reid?" Emily asked, drawing him into their conversation.

"Uh, no . . . not really."

"Oh, well, Morgan's looking for a drinking buddy. You seem right for the job."

Reid glared at her. "Somehow, I doubt that, seeing as what Morgan will really want to do is have meaningless, indiscriminate sex with a stranger he meets at the bar." He stood and moved to the other end of the jet to sit by JJ.

"Ouuuch!" exclaimed Prentiss.

"Tell me about it," Morgan muttered bitterly, folding his hand. "Always nice to know how little your 'friends' think of you."


	7. Chapter 7

_I can't believe I'm sitting here, waiting for him . . . I'm an idiot . . . I'm the smartest idiot to ever walk this Earth . . . and the fact that he's not home pretty much confirms what I said, so why am I sitting here waiting to apologize . . ._

"Reid, wake-up man!"

Reid felt an overwhelming sense of deja vú as he awoke with a start.

"What are you doin' here man?"

"Oh, uh, um, I should go," he said, standing abruptly. "Wait . . . Morgan, were you crying?!" As he fully awoke he noticed Morgan's bloodshot eyes.

"That's not really relevant to what you're doing here . . ." Morgan replied, deflecting the question as he ran a hand over his bald head.

"I came to apologize," Reid explained quietly, "for what I said on the plane . . . about you . . . and meaningless, indiscriminate sex . . ." he hung his head shamefully.

"It's okay . . . just forget it . . ."

"Did you get your drink?"

"Yeah," he replied with a half-smile, "Emily took me out for one . . . or two . . . or a few . . . and then I cried . . . in her car, thankfully, not in the bar . . ."

"I'm sorry you're hurting," Reid whispered.

"Are you sorry things didn't work out with me and Justin?" Morgan asked, testing the waters, trying to discern if there was a bit more to Reid's visit.

Reid averted his eyes. "I don't really think that's relevant . . ."

"Ooooh, but I think it is," the older agent answered as he took a step closer.

The other sighed heavily. "Not especially."

"Why not?"

"I didn't like him."

"You never even met him," Morgan said amusedly.

"What's your point?"

"Were you jealous? Because it kind of sounds like you were . . ." teased Morgan.

Reid's face was beet-red. "Jealousy, like most emotions, is completely irrational."

Morgan smiled and took another step closer. He raised a hand and gently stroked back Reid's hair. "Why'd you run away that night at the bar?"

"Because it's hard enough to watch you pick up women . . . I couldn't watch you hitting on guys too."

"Did it not occur to you that I might be interested in you, that that's why I asked you to go to that club with me, that that's why I came out to you?"

"No," he replied without hesitation.

"Can I ask why not?"

"Because why would someone like you ever want to be with someone like me?"

Morgan shook his head, then framed Reid's face with his hands as he leaned in to kiss him.


End file.
